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Scientists Freeze Great Barrier Reef Coral

时间:2022-12-27 03:08:15

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Scientists Freeze Great Barrier Reef Coral

Scientists working on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have successfully tested a new method for freezing and storing coral larvae1. Larvae are the very young form of the small ocean animal.

Coral creates reefs, structures in the ocean that support entire ecosystems3. However, climate change is threatening the existence of such reefs.

The science project in Australia involves freezing and storing coral larvae to use later for rewilding. A new material called "cryomesh" is helping5 the scientists in the effort.

Coral is frozen using a special method called cryogenics. This permits the young animals to be stored until they can be unfrozen and placed in the wild.

The process currently requires high-tech6 equipment including lasers and is costly7. But, the team in Australia says cryomesh can do a better job of saving the coral and for much less money.

The scientists used the cryomesh to freeze Great Barrier Reef coral larvae at the Australian Institute of Marine8 Sciences, or AIMS. Workers collected the coral during the animal's brief yearly reproductive period.

Mary Hagedorn is Senior Research Scientist at Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. She spoke9 with Reuters from the AIMS laboratory.

She explained, "If we can secure the biodiversity of coral ... then we'll have tools for the future to really help restore the reefs." She added, "...this technology for coral reefs in the future is a real game-changer."

The cryomesh had been tested earlier on smaller and larger kinds of Hawaiian corals. A test on the larger failed.

Tests are continuing with larger-size Great Barrier Reef coral.

The tests involved scientists from several organizations, including AIMS, the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and the Taronga Conservation Society Australia. Together they are part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program.

The mesh4 technology helps to store coral larvae at -196 degrees Celsius10. The University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering developed the material.

The Great Barrier Reef has suffered four bleaching12 events in the last seven years. This includes the first ever bleach11 during a La Nina weather event, which usually bring cooler temperatures.

Coral bleaching happens when extreme temperatures and sunlight force corals to release algae13 living in their tissue. This causes them to lose their color and turn white. The experience greatly weakens the coral and can kill them.

Words in This Story

larvae – n. an early form of any animal that at birth or hatching is very different from its parents

biodiversity – n. the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem2

game-changer – n. a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way

algae – n. any plant or plantlike organism (as a seaweed) that includes forms mostly growing in water, lacking a system of vessels for carrying fluids, and often having chlorophyll masked by brown or red coloring matter


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1 larvae w2CxP     
n.幼虫
参考例句:
  • Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
  • The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。
2 ecosystem Wq4xz     
n.生态系统
参考例句:
  • This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
  • We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。
3 ecosystems 94cb0e40a815bea1157ac8aab9a5380d     
n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样,从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句
4 mesh cC1xJ     
n.网孔,网丝,陷阱;vt.以网捕捉,啮合,匹配;vi.适合; [计算机]网络
参考例句:
  • Their characters just don't mesh.他们的性格就是合不来。
  • This is the net having half inch mesh.这是有半英寸网眼的网。
5 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
6 high-tech high-tech     
adj.高科技的
参考例句:
  • The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展,这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
  • The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。
7 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
8 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
参考例句:
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
9 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
10 Celsius AXRzl     
adj.摄氏温度计的,摄氏的
参考例句:
  • The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
  • The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。
11 bleach Rtpz6     
vt.使漂白;vi.变白;n.漂白剂
参考例句:
  • These products don't bleach the hair.这些产品不会使头发变白。
  • Did you bleach this tablecloth?你把这块桌布漂白了吗?
12 bleaching c8f59fe090b4d03ec300145821501bd3     
漂白法,漂白
参考例句:
  • Moderately weathered rock showed more intense bleaching and fissuring in the feldspars. 中等风化岩石则是指长石有更为强烈的变白现象和裂纹现象。
  • Bleaching effects are very strong and show on air photos. 退色效应非常强烈,并且反映在航空象片上。
13 algae tK6yW     
n.水藻,海藻
参考例句:
  • Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
  • Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

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